Record card transfer device



Aug. 25, 1959 Filed Feb. 29, 1956 A. H. TOD ETAL 2,900,985

RECORD CARD TRANSFER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3* u H m I? I Aug. 25, 1959 A. H. TOD ETAL RECORD CARD TRANSFER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 29, 1956 RECORD CARD TRANSFER DEVICE {Application February 29, 1956, Serial N0.568,602 Claims. (Cl. 129-16) This invention relates to novel means for facilitating transfer of groups of record cards of the class which are formed with die-cut tabs or bars at their medial portions and adjacent one edge, from a carrier strip where they are engaged in overlapping edgewise spaced relationship, to another carrier strip while maintaining their orderly relationship.

The use of record cards of class contemplated herein, in combination with mounting or supporting trays, such as metallic panels provided with fixed runways, is well known. The panels comprise parallel coplanar oppositely projecting guide flange pairs extending along and spaced from one face of the panel, these flanges being adapted to engage the aforesaid tabs or ears, a pair projecting toward each other being provided on each card. As is also well known, the roots of these tabs have their inception a distance spaced from one edge of the card corresponding to the degree to which it is desired that the opposite edges of the card will be spaced from each other and to expose indicia inscribed or typed on such marginal edge portions.

These cards are suitably arranged in an orderly mannet, as for example in alphabetical order, and being slidably retained, may be spaced individually, as for reception or removal of one or more cards in desirable order. Similarly, for the indicated or other purpose, it may at times become desirable to shift the whole or part of the cards engaged on one runway to a runway on another panel, particularly when it becomes desirable to fill up the runways on a panel so that it may be photographed and thus provide time-saving means for reproducing frequently changing lists, such as catalogs, directories, parts and price lists, etc.

To facilitate transfer of cards from one panel to another, the ends of the panels are provided with means for holding them in aligned engagement, such as tongues projecting from the end of one panel receivable in a sleeve or endwise open tubular portion on another panel, whereby the card holding runways on each are aligned for the purpose of sliding a group of cards from one onto the other. The ability to smoothly and effectively carry out such transfer depends particularly on the alignment of the elevated flange components of the runways, both as to coplanar relationship and end-to-end abutment. However, these panels and their component runways being conventionally formed of sheet metal, such as aluminum, are subject to deformation and denting during usual handling and as a result in time may become mis aligned, to the detriment of effective card transfer from one panel to another.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel transfer fixture whereby cards of the class described may at all times be effectively and smoothly transferred from the runway on one panel to a runway of like dimension on another panel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention, together with details of construction and arrangement of parts thereof, will be apparent from a consideration of the 2,900,985 Patented Aug. 25, 1959 following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pair of card supporting panels of the class described, in endwise engaged relationship with their aligned abutting runways bridged by a transfer fixture of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 22 of Fig. l, with a record card added in transfer position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective exploded view of the aligned ends of a pair of panel runways and a bridging transfer fixture.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view detail of one form of bridging transfer fixture in operative engagement.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the transfer fixture of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5, showing a modified form of transfer fixture for use-with another form of runway construction; and

Fig.8 is a perspective view of the transfer fixture of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates a sheet metal panel, the opposed longitudinal edge portions 11, 11 being return-bent and folded to form tubular edge portions, which serve as stiffening members and also as aids in supporting the side edges of record cards 12 engaged on the runways generally indicated as 13.

In the drawings, the pads 10 are provided with a parallel pair of runways 13 for the purpose of illustration, although it will be understood that a lesser or greater number may be employed, and that, as will appear hereinafter, a card 12 may be engaged to a single runway, or a similar card 14 may be engaged to a pair of runways 13. As will appear hereinafter, modified forms of runways 15 may also be employed.

The runways of either form 13 or 15 are characterized by a pair of spaced parallel coplanar oppositely projecting flanges 16 and 17 extending along and spaced from one face of base panel 10. In the case of the runway 15 of Fig. 7, the flanges 16 and 17 project from the U-shaped Web portion 18 which is suitably fixedly engaged to the panel 10 as by spot welding. In the case of the runways 13, the flanges 16 and 17 project respectively from V- shaped web portions 19 and 20, the latter being connected by the web portion 21 which is coplanar with the flanges. In this case the runway 13 is secured to the panel 10 by spot welding the portions 19 and 20 thereto. The web portion 21, in addition to providing a tubular stiffeningrib for panel 10, provides an endwise open tube for reception of tongues 22 secured in the ends of the like tubes of another panel, whereby to align a runway 13 on one panel 10 with a like runway 13 on another panel 10 for the purpose of transferring one or more cards 12 or 14 from one panel to another. Although not illustrated, it will be understood that engagement and alignment means other than the tongues 22 and tubes 21 may be employed; for example, the end tubes 11 may be employed in similar manner when runways 15 are employed. 1

The cards 12 are conventionally of flexible paperboard, die-cut as at 23, 23 to form a pair of curved ears 24, 24 projecting toward each other, these ears being adapted to be fiexedfrom the plane of. the card and disposed under an opposed pair of flanges 16 and 17 to thereby slidably engage the card to the runway. As shown in Fig. l, a plurality of cards 12 are engaged in conventional manner,i.e., in overlapping relationship, to the limit of their respective die-cut portions 23 resulting in exposure of marginal edge portions of the adjacent cards, I whichexposed portions carry suitable indicia. The cards," 14 are similar to the cards 12, except that they are twice 3 the width of cards 12 and are provided with two sets of ears for engagement with the two spanned runways 13. In the alternative, card 14 may dispense with the two center ears.

For the purpose of facilitating the shifting of a groupv of cards 12 or 14 from one panel to another, after suitable general alignment, as by means of the tongues 22 and tubes 21, we provide transfer fixtures, such as the units 25 or 26, for bridging a pair of aligned runways, and thereby compensating. for unevenness of damage which may have occurred to the runway flanges in use and resultant or even original irregularity in alignment or deviation from coplanar relationship. As will appear, these bridging fixtures are further designed to hold the ears 24, 24 of the record cards suitably spaced from the card body so that they may remain in overlapping relationship with adjacent ears and smoothly pass over the abutting edges of endwise aligned runways.

The transfer fixtures 25 and 26, as illustrated, are composed of relatively thin sheet metal, although in the alternative they may be composed of thin, relatively rigid plastic material. These fixtures are of a width adapted to overlie and embrace a pair of runway flanges 16 and 17, and are provided with side legs 27, 27 projecting downwardly normally from the plane of the fixture body. Preferably, and in order to effect smooth transfer of the cards from one aligned runway to another, the width of the transfer fixtures should not be greater than the distance between the edges of a pair of flanges 16, 17, and to this end we preferably taper each of the end portions of each of the flanges 16 and 17 as at 28 and 29 respectively, to thereby provide seats for the fixture legs 27, 27. These legs 27, 27 desirably are arcuate in contour and at the center may project slightly beyond the thickness of an embraced flange, as shown in Fig. 2, so that in drawing a group of cards over the fixture, the cars 24 will be spaced from the card body somewhat more than usual to insure prevention of snagging between the abutting edges of the panel runways.

The transfer fixtures are further provided with one or more lugs 30 struck out from the body thereof, these lugs extending normally to the body and normally to the legs 27, 27; that is to say, when a fixture 25 or 26 is seated over a pair of flanges 16, 17 with the legs 27 seated in the tapered end portions of the flanges, the lugs 30 will extend parallel to the abutting ends of a pair of panels 10, 10. These lugs 30 are of a length so that they may project between some portion of the panel or of the runways 13 or and be anchored thereby in use between the aligned panels so that manual movement of a group of engaged cards over a transfer fixture will not displace the fixture from its bridging position. Thus, as shown, the wider fixture is formed with two aligned lugs 30, one being adapted to project between the portions 19 and the other between the portions 20 of aligned runways 13. The narrower fixture 26 is formed with a single lug adapted to project between the ends of the webs 18 of an aligned pair of runways 15.

For further facilitating smooth transfer, the fixtures are formed with forwardly and rearwardly projecting portions 31 inclined downwardly from the plane thereof so as to project into the troughs of the runways, such as at the portions 19 and 20 of runways 13, or the portions-18 of runways 15.

It will be understood that although we have shown the preferred form of our invention, variousmodifications one aligned runway to an end abutting aligned runway of overlapped endwise regularly spaced groups of flexible record cards slidably engaged thereover by pairs of ears on each record card projecting toward each other and disposed beneath said flanges, said fixture comprising a planar body portion for overlying nd spanning an endabutting pair of said flanges, nun body portion having opposite edges and being of greater width and length than thickness, legs integral with said body portion and carried by the opposite edges of said body portion and extending transversely to the plane of said body portion for overlying the side edges of said guide flanges, said legs being substantially planar and of substantial width relative to thickness, the juncture of said legs with said edges of the body portion being relieved arcuately to facilitate the passage thereover of said record cards, and medially disposed lug means struck-up from said body portion for disposition between the abutting ends of said runways.

2. A fixture for bridging the abutting aligned ends of card runways wherein each runway comprises a base portion and -a pair of laterally spaced parallel coplanar oppositely extending guide flanges spaced from one face of the base portions, and for facilitating the transfer from one aligned runway to an end-abutting runway of overlapped endwise regularly spaced groups of flexible record cards slidably engaged thereover b'y pairs of cars on each record card projecting toward each other and disposed beneath said flanges, said fixture comprising a planar body portion for overlying and spanning end-abutting pairs of said flanges, said body portion having opposite edges and being of greater width and length than thickness, deflecting legs integral with said body portion and carried by two opposite edges of said body portion, said deflecting legs extending from the plane of said body portion divergently with respect to each other for disposition between the laterally spaced oppositely extending flanges, said deflecting legs being substantially planar and of substan tial width and length compared to thickness, the legs and body portion adjacent the line of juncture between the legs and body portion being relieved arcuately transversely to said line of juncture to deflect and guide the leading edges of said cards over said body portion during transfer of said cards from one card runway to another.

3. A fixture for bridging the abutting aligned ends: of card runways wherein each runway comprises a base portion and a pair of laterally spaced parallel coplanar oppositely extending guide flanges spaced from one face of the base portion, and for facilitating the transfer from one aligned runway to end-abutting runway of overlapped endwise regularly spaced groups of flexible record cards slidably engaged thereover by pairs of ears on each record card projecting toward each other and disposed beneath said flanges, said fixture comprising a planar body portion for overlying and spanning end-abutting pairs of said flanges, said body portion having two pairs of opposite edges and being of greater width and length than thiclc ness, deflecting legs integral with said body portion and carried by one pair of opposite edges of said body portion, said deflecting legs extending from the plane of said body portion divergently with respect to each other for disposition between the laterally spaced oppositely extending flanges, said deflecting legs being substantially planar and of substantial width and length compared to thickness, the legs and body portion adjacent the line of juncture between the legs and body portion being relieved arcuately transversely to said line of juncture, a pair of tongue-deflecting legs carried by the other pair of opposite edges, said latter legs being substantially planar and of substantial width and length compared to thickness, the edges of the tongue-deflecting legs being arcuate in the plane of said legs, said legs being adapted to overhang said oppositely extending flanges of said runways to deflect the tongues of said cards over the arcuate edges of said tongue-deflecting legs.

4. A bridging fixture for record card panels comprising a planar body portion, said body portion having two pairs of opposite edges, each pair being at substantially rightangles to the other opposite pair, said body portion being of greater width and length than thickness, legs carried on one pair of opposite edges, said legs extending from the plane of the body portion in divergent directions with respect to each other, said legs being substantially planar and of substantial width and length compared to thickness, the legs and body portion adjacent the line of juncture between the legs and body portion being relieved arcuately transversely to said line of juncture, and a second pair of legs carried by the other opposite edges of said body portion, said latter legs being substantially planar and of substantiahwidth and length compared to thickness, the edges of said last-mentioned legs being arcuate in the plane of said legs.

5. A bridging fixture for record card panels comprising a planar body portion, said body portion having two pairs of opposite edges, each pair being at substantially rightangles to the other opposite pair, said body portion being of greater Width and length than thickness, legs carried on one pair of opposite edges, said legs extending from the plane of the body portion in divergent directions with respect to each other, said legs being substantially planar and of substantial width and length compared to thickness, the legs and body portion adjacent the line of juncture between the legs and body portion being relieved arcuately transversely of said line of juncture, a second pair of legs carried by the other opposite edges of said body portion, said latter legs being substantially planar and of substantial width and length compared to thickness, the edges of said last-mentioned legs being arcuate in the plane of said legs, and a struck-up lug carried by an intermediate portion of said body portion, said lug being planar and being disposed at substantially rightangles to the plane of said body portion and in a plane parallel to the line of juncture of said first-mentioned legs and said body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 82,181 Tileston Sept. 15, 1868 1,661,519 Wigginton Mar. 6, 1928 1,878,321 Poulton Sept. 20, 1932 2,635,607 Gunn Apr. 21, 1953 

